Exploring Iceland’s Unique Landscape

Iceland is a beautiful country with an absolutely stunning landscape. In Iceland you can witness some incredible natural landscapes, including volcanoes, waterfalls, glaciers and hot springs to name just a few, as well as the Northern Lights. With its huge wealth of natural beauty to explore, it can be hard to decide what to see when you are there, I know it certainly was for me! Here are just a few of the amazing things to do in Iceland.

The Blue Lagoon

Located 40 minutes from Reykjavik, the Blue Lagoon is one of Iceland’s most popular tourist destinations. The water at the Blue Lagoon is rich in both minerals and silica and is believed by many to have natural healing powers. Whilst here relax in the geothermal waters, enjoy a silica mud mask, relax in the sauna and steam rooms, enjoy a quick dip under the waterfall or enjoy a lovely meal at the Lava restaurant overlooking the Blue Lagoon.

Credit: Emily Chandler

Go Glacier Walking

If you are planning a trip to Iceland I would highly recommend going glacier-walking whilst you are there. With approximately 11% of Iceland’s total land area covered in glaciers, there are plenty of options available to go glacier-walking, with a huge range of companies offering glacier walks for you to choose from. The range of different glaciers within Iceland means that you will be able to find a glacier walk to suit you, regardless of whether you just want to experience a light walk across a glacier, explore the ice caves or even go ice climbing!

Credit: Emily Chandler

The Golden Circle

As one of Iceland’s most popular tourist routes, the Golden Circle is definitely on most people’s Iceland to do list and includes many of Iceland’s main tourist attractions. Þingvellir National Park is one of the sights on this tour and is situated on the site of a rift valley, marking the crest of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. This national park was also the site of the oldest Parliament in the world, which existed on this site from 930 until 1789. The second sight on this tour is the Haukadalur Geothermal Area which contains a number of different geothermal features including Geysir and Strokkur, hot springs and fumaroles. The stunning Gullfoss waterfall is also part of this tour and is definitely worth a visit.

Credit: Emily Chandler

The Bridge Between Continents

Located in Sandvik on the Reykjanes Peninsula, this footbridge extends from the European Plate to the North American Plate over a large fissure, acting as a clear reminder of Iceland’s location on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge.

Credit: Emily Chandler

Reykjavik

Reykjavik itself contains a number of attractions that are worth a visit. Including the Hallgrimskirkja Church, which is the capital’s main landmark and is visible from all over the city, the old harbour, and a huge number of lovely restaurants to have dinner in.

Credit: Emily Chandler

Northern Lights

The Northern Lights are definitely one of Iceland’s major attractions and are absolutely worth seeing if possible. However, it is important to note that this won’t always be possible due to the unpredictability of the phenomenon occurring. Your chances of seeing the Northern Lights depends on a variety of factors, including the weather, the season and your location, therefore the longer you are in the country for, the greater your chances of seeing the Northern Lights for yourself. To be in with the best chance of seeing the Northern Lights it is suggested that you visit between September and April, however in order for them to be visible there needs to be a clear sky, so it really is down to luck. Many of the hotels in Iceland will keep you updated on the weather conditions and your chances of seeing the Northern Lights every day and will definitely let you know if there is a good chance of seeing them. Maybe on your next trip to Iceland you will be lucky enough to see the Northern Lights for yourself!

Credit: Wikimedia Commons

I would hugely recommend visiting Iceland and exploring some of the beautiful and unique sights that Iceland has to offer.

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